


They'll Have Each Other

by Saerwenn



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hospital, Hurt/Comfort, Post Season 7, Season 7 Spoilers, Sleepy Cuddles, klance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-08-20
Packaged: 2019-06-30 06:05:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15745791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saerwenn/pseuds/Saerwenn
Summary: Keith overhears a conversation he wasn't meant to hear, but alerts him to a situation he didn't know about. Lance may not be as doing as well as he pretends to be, and he's going to find out what happened.





	They'll Have Each Other

**Author's Note:**

> Me: *has another fanfic in the works, is making two cosplays for Fanexpo which is two weeks away, home with my 8 month old*  
> Me to Me: *write another fanfic*
> 
> Basically, I was up with my daughter at 3 in the morning and thought of this little drabble, and finally wrote it out. It's basically right after season 7 ends, and I just wanted some cute cuddles. Comments are always appreciated!

Keith blinked away sleep as his eyes cracked open, adjusting to the bright light of the hospital room he was currently calling home. His mom and Kolivan were involved in numerous meetings, and Shiro was helping commander Iverson and Sam with integrating Altean technology into the Garrison standards, so he wasn’t really surprised to be alone, and he truly didn’t mind. He liked being alone once in a while, and ever since their space road trip, Keith had been in constant contact with his team at every waking moment. He didn’t mind it, but sometimes it was nice to just breath. 

After a while, his stomach rumbling could no longer be ignored and he decided to wander to the cafeteria for some lunch. Flinging his legs off the bed and ignoring the slippers that the hospital staff kept trying to get him to wear, he stretched his back and trudged off down the hallway, bare feet slapping along the polished concrete as he walked. 

He was passing by Allura’s room and thought he would poke his head in to see if she wanted to join him when a very familiar figure appeared from the hallway adjacent him. Keith nodded to Lance as he passed, but he was barely spared more than a glance before the brunette was disappearing into Allura’s room. Go figure, thought Keith with a tinge of jealousy. The determined look on Lance’s face was unnerving, coupled with a shade of something like…anger? Hurt? The more Keith thought about it, the slower Keith walked, until he realized he was moving backwards; hovering at the door shamelessly eavesdropping to his teammates. 

“Hi Lance!” Allura’s voice. Keith hated the way she pronounced Lance’s name; so regal and electrifying. 

“Allura, can we talk?” There was a silence, presumably a nod, before Lance took a deep breath and continued. 

“Listen, Allura, I’ve noticed you seem a lot more…eager towards me lately,” Lance began. Keith could practically feel Allura’s blush from here. 

“I do really like you, Lance,” she said fondly, “I know you feel the same way as I do.” Keith was three steps away before sliding right back to the door when he heard Lance’s tone. 

“That’s the thing,” the Cuban said, bitterness seeping into his voice, “My feelings have changed. I don’t think you realize what you’re doing, Allura, but the damage has been done.”

There was a gasp. “Lance, what are you saying?” 

“I’m saying you made your choice with Lotor.” Keith had a knuckle in his mouth to stifle his confused gasps. He was realizing how much he had missed, being away with his mom. Lance had continued. 

“You knew about my feelings. I know the mice told you. I tried so hard to get you to notice me, and you shot me down time after time. I don’t say this to be cruel, Allura, but you cast me aside for him and it hurt. A lot.” His voice softened; Keith wondered if the Princess was crying. “I don’t want you to think I don’t love and respect you as a friend and Paladin, Princess. Just…I’m figuring my feelings out. And they’re different, and they aren’t for you anymore. I’m sorry.” Keith was shocked. He heard a female sniffle. 

“I’m glad you talked to me honestly, Lance,” she said with a watery voice, “And I understand. I love you too, and am so glad to have you as such a valued friend.” Keith heard the bed sheets ruffle, and assumed a hug was being shared. He snapped out of his trance and took off down the hall before he was caught.

As he chewed bland hospital food, he turned this new information over in his head tirelessly. Was he a bit too focused on the Blue turned Red paladin? Perhaps. But he had long since accepted his own feelings for Lance and had thought they would forever go unnoticed. He knew Lance was bisexual thanks to a long, homesick-fueled late night talk in the Castle ship. However, he pushed his own thoughts aside for the moment and focused on the tone in his voice when he had spoken to Allura; the bitterness and resentment was so uncharacteristic for him that it made Keith frown. Something had happened, and he was going to get to the bottom of it. 

Later that night, Keith had finally worked up the nerve to try and talk to Lance. He waited until visiting hours were over, everyone’s families had gone home for the night, and Shiro was asleep until he slipped out of bed and walked down the quiet hallways. The light from the moon poured in through the windows, dancing along the walls and illuminating the structure in a beautiful glow. Once, when Keith was younger, he had thought of moonlight as terrifying and eerie. Now, he found it comforting and familiar. 

When Keith got to Lance’s room, the door was already wide open. He gently pushed it aside and tiptoed in. There was a soft glow in the room from the lamp beside Lance’s bed, and when Keith turned his head to the boy in question, he felt his heart leap through his throat. 

Lance was propped up on a pile of pillows, dressed in their hospital clothes and covered in a thin blanket from the waist down. His head lolled to the side and his mouth was closed tightly, perfect eyelashes covering sleeping eyes. One arm was slung around his stomach and the other hung uselessly at his side, and the whole scene was so serene that Keith couldn’t help but stare. He was seeing Lance in a whole new light, figuratively and literally. Knowing his feelings for Allura were gone made his heart thump with painful hopefulness, and the glow from the moon illuminated his gorgeous, dark skin, making him shine more than any sort of face mask ever could. Keith smiled fondly, and then began to back away. 

“What are you doing here, Keith?” 

Keith froze. His gaze slid back to Lance, who’s eyes were now half lidded and staring directly at him. Busted. 

“I uhm, wanted to talk to you,” he stuttered, standing halfway between the door and the bed. Lance chuckled. 

“Come on in then. I can’t sleep anyways,” he huffed, rubbing his eyes and patting the bed. Keith wandered over and sat opposite to Lance on the bed, both boys criss-crossing their legs. 

“So, what’d you want to talk about?” Lance asked. Keith sighed, unsure of how to bring up any of the issues he had overheard. 

“Well, I was just thinking a lot, and I realized I was gone for a pretty long time. I missed out on a lot of your life, and I just wanted to catch up and make sure everything was alright,” he said carefully, fiddling with one of his pant legs. Lance was staring at him evenly. 

“What brought this on? You haven’t mentioned it before,” the Cuban said. Keith shrugged. 

“I just heard things might not have been easy for you.” 

Lance laughed out loud. 

“From who?” the brunette scoffed, surprising Keith. “Nobody would notice if anything was wrong with me, even if it was.” Keith stared into Lance’s eyes, surprised at the outburst. 

“Won’t you talk to me?” Keith said, voice hardly even a whisper. “I’m really sorry I left, and I really missed you. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you…But, I’m here now. And I want to be here for you.” 

He didn’t miss the tears threatening to spill over, no matter how quickly Lance ducked his head to hide them.

“I really missed you too, Keith,” he whispered in response. “Are you sure you even want to listen to me complain though? I thought you hated me.” Keith’s heart clenched painfully. He tossed aside any inhibitions he may have, and grasped Lance’s hands in his own. Lance flinched, but didn’t pull away; in fact he clung to Keith as if his life depended on it. 

“I’ve never hated you, Lance. Please talk to me,” Keith pleaded. Lance nodded and sucked in a deep breath, returning his eyes to Keith’s. 

“Alright. I guess when Lotor came around and tricked us all into trusting him, Allura started cozying up to him. And I was really upset, and started trying really hard to win her over. I even told the mice how I felt about her, and I know they told her. But it didn’t matter… She chose him over me every time. And I was heartbroken, but I moved on. Then when Lotor died, and Allura started to flirt with me, I should have been happy… But I was hurt. I was her second choice; someone she had decided to settle for and I hated it. So I told her I had moved on, and she understood.” Keith listened attentively, knowing most of this information but still reacting as if it was new. He was about to respond with some sort of comfort when Lance continued. 

“Then I tried to talk to Hunk and Pidge about how I was feeling, but they made fun of me relentlessly. To the point of me feeling that I couldn’t talk to them at all. About anything.”

What?

“And then Shiro’s evil clone was there, and I didn’t know it wasn’t actually Shiro, and I should have been able to help him. But I didn’t. And his clone was so awful to me; either flat out ignoring me or yelling at me in front of everyone, degrading me even when I was just trying to keep the peace between the team.” 

Oh no. 

“And also, on a mission with Allura… I died.” 

“What?!” Keith couldn’t help but interrupt at this point. Lance’s shoulders were slumped so low, it seemed like the brunette was trying to sink in on himself. His grip on Keith’s hands had shifted as he scooted closer to the black haired leader, and now he was clinging to Keith’s forearms. Keith could feel the slight shaking of his hands. 

“I was dead for a while. I took a hit for Allura and I actually died. She did some Altean magic, and brought me back to life, but after that it was like nothing had happened. She didn’t bring it up, and I don’t think anybody else even knows about it,” Lance sniffed; the tears had escaped his eyes and were running down his cheeks. “I know it’s not a big deal to anyone else, but I don’t know how to move on from something like that. I’m fine during the day, but at night when I close my eyes and sleep I have nightmares. I’m afraid to close my eyes in case I don’t come back.” 

Keith was shaking, filled to the brim with rage. Lance must have picked up on it because he shrunk away from him and slumped onto his pillows, hugging himself tightly. 

“I’m sorry Keith… I told you it was too much.” 

Keith snapped out of his trance and realized Lance thought he was angry with him. Lance, who had just been through more than anyone should ever have to be through, at the hands of people who were supposed to be a team, when Keith was nowhere to be seen. Nowhere to help him through any of this. Keith was angry at the other Paladins, and at himself; not at Lance. The Black Paladin flung himself forward, ignoring the surprised squeak from Lance as Keith enveloped him in the tightest hug he could manage. 

“Lance, God. I’m so sorry. I-I had no idea, and if I had just been there to help…” Keith mumbled into Lance’s neck, feeling the boy’s arms wrap around his neck and cling to him desperately. He was crying openly now, face buried in Keith’s shoulder. 

“It’s not your fault,” Lance choked out, “I’m just…really glad you’re here now.” Keith smiled. 

He let Lance cry himself out, stroking his hair and back comfortingly, until the hiccups and sniffles died down and his body stopped shaking. Keith pulled back slightly, still in each other’s arms but with their foreheads almost touching. Lance gazed up at him with shiny blue eyes, and Keith swore to himself he had never seen anything quite so beautiful. 

“So…” Lance breathed, glancing at the clock. It was well after midnight. “I probably won’t be able to sleep…do you want to play a video game?” Keith smiled. He knew Lance would need to talk more about everything that had happened; probably with an actual therapist, but not tonight. Tonight he had gotten everything off his chest. Tonight he had realized for the first time in a long time, that he wasn’t alone. That was good enough for now. 

“Only if you’re ready to get your butt kicked,” Keith retorted, smirking and pushing off the Cuban boy to turn the TV on. When he wandered back to the bed with controllers in hand, Lance had scooted over and lifted the blanket, blushing and biting his lip. Keith smiled warmly and climbed into bed beside him, feeling a jolt of electricity shoot through his leg and arm where they were pressed up against Lance’s warm body. They turned on Mario Kart, and soon it was a competition full of swearwords and shoving, laughing and giggling and shushing the other. 

As they played, Keith felt Lance’s whole body sagging more and more into his own space. At some point, Keith remained quiet and watched as the brunette snuggled closer into Keith. Finally, the black haired boy paused the game and abandoned the controllers, snaking an arm around Lance and pulling him into his chest. To his surprise, Lance smiled and returned the embrace; one arm around Keith’s waist and the other clinging to his shirt. Keith blushed furiously as he cradled the sleeping boy in his arms; just like their infamous bonding moment, he thought amusedly. 

As Keith’s eyes sagged, and sleep crept into his vision, he allowed himself one more peek at Lance, who was curled up against him, sleeping soundly. 

“Don’t worry Lance,” he whispered against his hair, “If you have a nightmare, I’ll be right here to chase it away. I’m not leaving anymore.” And as Keith finally drifted off, he heard Lance’s voice against his chest, whispering, 

“Sweet dreams, Keith.” 

~

Shiro walked into Keith’s room after knocking loudly. It was unlike his brother to sleep in much later than 7, so he had assumed he’d want coffee. However, Shiro was greeted with an empty bed. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. This kid was going to be the death of him. At least his hair was already white, he thought. 

Krolia strolled in behind him, and stared at the bed. Oh shit. 

“Where is my son?” she asked, staring pointedly at Shiro. 

“Ummmmmmm…..” Shiro hummed, scratching behind his head with his prosthetic arm. “I was kind of wondering the same thing. You’re not sure where he is?” 

“No,” she admitted, “But it is still pretty early. Could he have just gone to get his own food?” 

“Probably,” Shiro agreed, “Want to check it out with me?” The Galran nodded, and soon both were walking at a brisk pace to the cafeteria. They found Hunk, but not Keith. 

“Krolia, calm down,” Shiro called as she strode away, clearly getting frantic, “This is Earth; there’s not a war going on anymore. Wherever Keith is, he’s not in danger.” Krolia stopped, looked at the former black paladin, and took a deep breath in and out. 

“I suppose I forget that sometimes,” she admitted as they continued walking at a more reasonable pace. Rounding a corner, they came across Allura standing in the hallway, a smile on her face. 

“Hey, Allura, have you seen Keith anywhere?” Shiro asked, quieting his voice partway through the sentence when she put a finger to her lips. 

“I think I’ve found him, yes,” came the amused reply. All three adults peeked into the room Allura had been looking into. 

Keith was in bed, curled around the sleeping form of Lance. Game controllers were tossed to the foot of the hospital bed, the blanket was pulled up to their waists, and their bed was still propped up a bit, but neither boy seemed to mind. Lance’s head was on Keith’s chest, Keith’s chin resting in Lance’s brown hair, and both boys were clinging tightly to each other, even as they slept. Shiro couldn’t help but smile as he quietly closed the door. Looking at Krolia, she also had a fond expression on her face. 

“We may not be in a war anymore,” he said quietly, “But it’s going to take time for their lifes to return to some sense of normality.” Allura and Krolia nodded their agreement. 

“Not to worry,” Allura said happily. “Through it all, they’ll have each other.”

And they did.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I'm in the middle of writing another fanfic; an AU Klance story, so pop over there if you enjoy my writing! 
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/15674517/chapters/36414744


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